The Black Mount

22.7.00 - 27km, 2090m - 576 mins

Area 3: Strath Orchy to Loch Leven

< Previous | Walk 23 | Next >
Stob a' Choire Odhair945m3100ftM226#54
Stob Ghabhar1090m3576ftM55#55
Creise1100m3609ftM50#56
Meall a' Bhuiridh1108m3635ftM45#57
Click here or on any picture to switch to slideshow
Stob Ghabhar from Mam Carraigh

I found myself starting the 2000 Munro season next door to Glen Coe, where I had finished off in 1999. The plan was to take the train to Glasgow and the bus to Bridge of Orchy then walk over the Black Mount, taking in all four Munros and be down to the bus stop near the Kingshouse Hotel in time to catch the bus back to Glasgow at quarter to eight in the evening. This involved being up very early to catch a train from Waverley at ten to six in the morning. The bus finally deposited me at Bridge of Orchy at ten past nine and I set off along an excellent path, part of the West Highland Way, over Mam Carraigh and down towards Victoria Bridge which would be the normal starting point if coming by car.

Stob a

It was a very hot sunny day, with lots of flies, midges and clegs lower down. For this reason, if for no other, I had to keep up a brisk pace round the head of Loch Tulla and along the track by the Abhainn Shira. It was in fact quite a relief to be climbing into the corrie by the Allt Toaig and finally get away from them.

Rannoch Moor and Stob a

The first ascent, up a zigzagging stalker's path to the summit of Stob a' Choire Odhair, was very tiring and I began to wonder if I was up to completing the whole expedition. There was quite a crowd on top, including a group who were looking across Coire Ba to the northern pair and clearly having their own second thoughts.

Stob Ghabhar from Stob a

The next climb, up to the top of the Aonach Eagach (the Black Mount one that is, not the Glen Coe one!) and along to Stob Ghabhar, although hard, seemed less exhausting. This, and the women's party I met on the top who were celebrating one of their number's Last Munro, inspired me to press on - I was now feeling like the trip was definitely possible to complete. One worry, at this point only a minor one, was my water supply, which was a bit of a problem on such a hot day. I had only a one litre bottle with me which I had been able to fill up during the climb up Stob a' Choire Odhair at around 11.30. Now it was twenty to three and I was hoping that I would find a place to refill on the way across to Clach Leathad.

Creise, Clach Leathad and Meall a

The third climb, up onto Clach Leathad, coming as it did after a long and somewhat trackless ridge walk, was extremely exhausting, and I drank the last of my water at the top, having found nowhere to refill. I staggered up to the summit wondering what I should do. Luckily by then it had clouded over or the day might have ended in dehydrated disaster.

Snow on the northern slopes of Stob Ghabhar

I went ahead and did Creise, thinking that after that it would probably be impossible to go on and do Meall a' Bhuiridh - by now I was totally exhausted and very thirsty. However, after reaching the summit of Creise, it became evident as I studied the map that the only easy route from there to the chairlift road end, where the bus was due, was over the top of Meall a' Bhuiridh. Panic! By this time it was spitting rain slightly, although not enough to drink. Fortunately I met a group on the way back along the ridge from Creise, and begged some water off one of them, who was very friendly, remarking that I looked "a bit peaky"… The water didn't go far, but I decided to do the Meall a'Bhuiridh ridge, which from here looked fairly easy, and in fact was. I ate the celebratory Mars Bar on top, more for much needed energy than any enjoyment - with my mouth so dry it took quite a while to actually get it down!

The first stream on the descent by the White Corries chairlift

Then came the long descent. It was a wonderful moment when, after only about 15 minutes, I heard the gurgle of running water, and contoured over to a stream running down beside a snow patch - not the first snow I had passed that day. I had been on the ridges with no water supply for six and a half hours and I now drank and drank - bliss! The rest of the descent, however, was very exhausting, and, alas, my left knee was hurting once more, especially on the very steep sections.

The White Corries from the A82

I finally got to the road end, with a decidedly strong feeling that the trip had been a bit too ambitious for the season's opener! Nevertheless, it was quite an impressive feat - in fact I had walked further and climbed more height than on any other trip before, at a time when I was quite out of training. I had also learned a very important lesson - watch your water supply, especially on hot days and long ridge walks!

<U>These are the Legs</U> or <U>Anatomy of a Walker in the Medina</U> (The Black Mount, 22nd July 2000)
These are the legs that walked the Black Mount
This is the skin that was browned by the sun of Mam Carraigh
These are the lungs that filled themselves with the pure air of Stob a' Coire Odhair
These are the eyes that gazed across the vast spaces of Corrie Ba
These are the hands that clawed their way to the summit of Clach Leathad
These are the lips that drank from the snowfields of the White Corries
These are the feet that stumbled, blistered down the slopes of Meall a' Bhuiridh
And these are the legs,
These are the legs that walked the Black Mount